KC stunt rider to release documentary

Sarah Gish

Ink

But that’s kind of how Kansas City stunt rider Brennan Foreman likes it.

“I definitely like the underground appeal,” Foreman, 19, says.

Stunt riding is kind of like extreme motorcycle riding. Picture T-shirt-clad dudes on bikes zooming down the highway at top speeds, doing wheelies and donuts like it’s no big deal.

For about a year, Foreman’s been working on a stunt-riding documentary called “Blox Starz: Heart of the Streets, Vol. 1.” The movie premieres at 9 p.m. Saturday at Saints Pub & Patio, 9720 Quivira Road in Lenexa.

“Blox Starz” — which Foreman edited, produced, and performed in — stars local riders performing eye-popping stunts on Kansas City streets. It also documents the hard-partying culture behind the sport: The trailer shows the riders getting inked at a tattoo parlor and romping with scantily clad ladies at a strip club.

The soundtrack features Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko and Snug Brim, all rappers on Kansas City label Strange Music.

What’s the appeal of stunt riding? To me, it seems like you’d have to be insane to do it.

It definitely gives you a rush. A lot of the tricks require a lot of practice. But it makes you feel good, makes you forget about everything else. You get away. It’s better than any drug.

How did you get interested in stunt riding?

I rode dirt bikes, and then started doing stunts on mini bikes. I started (stunt) riding with these guys down in Kansas City, in parking lots. I kind of fell in love with it from there.

Is stunt riding even legal?

In a lot of places, it is against the law. It’s considered “careless and imprudent driving” in Missouri, which is a reckless-driving thing. We usually ride in groups, like normal bikers would. Some of the cops will give you a pretty hard time. But we’re not like the guys who are going 100 miles down the highway. We’re very in control of the motorcycle.

So … could you get arrested for popping a wheelie on, say, Interstate 435?

It depends on the cop. They could probably arrest you if they wanted to.

What kind of reactions do you get from drivers?

A lot of people love it, and you’ll get some people that will hate it. They’ll want to call the police. Others will roll down the window and give you a thumbs-up. Some people may give you a dirty look, yell or flip you off, like, “Those crazy assholes!”

Do stunt riders ever crash?

Yes, it can be a very dangerous sport. The main thing is, if you can make it through that first year, then usually you’re not going to wreck too much unless you’re doing something new, like jumping through the handlebars on the highway. But if you’re experienced, and you’re doing a stand-up wheelie, there’s zero chance you would crash that.

Do you think the sport’s growing in Kansas City?

Yeah, I definitely would say it’s growing. You’ll see a lot of new guys popping up (practicing) in the parking lots. That’s how you know it’s getting popular. And you see the people who weren’t very good, and they’re getting better.

How does Kansas City’s stunt-riding scene compare with the scenes in other cities?

St. Louis’ is a little bigger, but Kansas City has a pretty decent scene compared with other cities in the Midwest. It’s definitely bigger out in California, because all the stunt parts are made out there. And you can ride year-round out there.

Does stunt riding have its own culture?

It’s got biker roots. Which is tattoos, partying … a lot of the people that ride together are like family. You share a major common interest. Once you get into it, it’ll consume a lot of your time.

Is there competition? Jealousy?

Yeah, it’s got the drama of any sport. But the competition is good. It pushes you to get better.

It seems like some of the draw is the danger of it. Like, you could crash or get pulled over at any second.

That’s kind of what it is for me. I like riding in the streets. I don’t like riding in the parking lot. When you’re on the highway, there’s speed, danger, you’re changing lanes, there are potholes. You’ve got to know where you’re going. And you never know what’s going to be around the next corner.

infobox-hr-separator /> infobox-head>“Blox Starz” premiere party What: A DVD release party for “Blox Starz: Heart of the Streets, Vol. 1,” a new documentary about the motorcycle stunt-riding scene in Kansas City